Cabin Fever

With the unpredictable weather, and the dearth of entertainment venues due to the pig flu (e.g. Mayfest cancelled), it's been a quiet beginning to the weekend.

Having read the blogs of others, many of whom are much more familiar than I with classic films and literature, I have decided to rent at least one 'landmark' movie each weekend, the kind that could be described as what author and researcher E. D. Hirsch Jr. might've included in his treatises on cultural literacy.

I don't mean to say that it will be all Casablanca and African Queen type of fare (neither of which I've viewed in their entirety), but rather some of the common titles that most people of my generation should be familiar with. I've introduced my kids to It's A Wonderful Life (lots of times), Harvey (the original - the remake with Harry Anderson was OK, but Barry Bostwick would've been a better pick for Elwood Dowd), Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy, Pale Rider, and Deliverance.

This weekend, we will watch, topically (see post below), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and have already watched Hooper (not necessarily a classic) and a forgettable buddy film with Joe Pesci and Danny Glover, Gone Fishin', both of which referenced Deliverance. Thanks to a commenter on my Must Love Dogs musings, I will include Dr. Zhivago on my future list.

This morning I had a song stuck in my head, so I dug out a 70's compilation CD with Beach Baby, by The First Class, a one-hit wonder from my junior-high years. Good stuff. Maybe some vintage Chicago later.

Happy wet weekend, everyone!

Edit: I was at the video store yesterday, Dr. Z will have to wait for a weekend when I don't have the kids - it's 200 minutes running time.